A picture is worth a thousand words. But with Maarten van Rossem, you might get a few thousand more. On October 7, the Netherlands’ best-known historian took the audience in the fully packed Blauwe Zaal on a fascinating journey through history, using iconic World Press Photo images as his starting point. With his trademark dry humor, sharp observations, impressive historical knowledge, and the occasional entertaining detour, Van Rossem brought the stories behind the photographs to life.
What did the audience think?
“Great storytelling by a knowledgeable person on history based on different winning press photos.”
“Wonderful to be drawn into his stories, complete with little detours and the occasional book recommendation.”
“I'm a huge Maarten van Rossem fan, so getting to hear him lecture for two hours was absolutely fantastic for me.”
"An original and entertaining way to combine World Press Photo with history. Van Rossem was exactly as expected: knowledgeable, witty, socially unconventional, relaxed about timing, and never afraid to take an entertaining detour.
Can't get enough of Maarten van Rossem? Or his voice, which, according to the man himself, puts many women to sleep? Good news: there are plenty more podcasts featuring him to enjoy. In the episode “Wel de lusten, niet de lasten van Europa (All the Benefits, None of the Burdens of Europe - podcast in Dutch), he also takes a moment to reflect on his visit to Studium Generale at TU/e. So keep listening.
Photos take by Maud Staassen.
